Invasion of our Homeland
by purpleswans
Summary: Over 20 years after the events of the promised day, Amestris faces a new threat: an invasion by Drachma. When evidence appears or a new plan by the invadors, a plan with the potential to destroy the world, Maes Mustang takes it upon himself to seek aid for his country in Xing. But he didn't expect to find extra help from a former state alchemist and his family.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So, a little while ago my brain said "Hey! You know what you haven't seen or thought about for a while? Fullmetal Alchemist." And now that my brain is in that world, the fanfic ideas are swimming. This is the only one that I feel like I have fleshed out enough to actually start writing, but keep your eyes out for others on the way. And don't be afraid to tell me what you think, as always constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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A lone figure trudged across the vast desert sands. The sun beat down on him, scorching and stifling him, draining him of all that remained of his energy. He was covered in a tattered cloak just a few shades off from the sand at his feet, but when the wind blew the right way black hair, a blue military uniform, and a metal arm became visible. He couldn't have been much older than 15 years old.

He pulled the cloak tighter around his body. "Damn it." he muttered. "I'm almost out of food and water, and Xing doesn't appear to be getting any closer. What's worse, this heat is making my Automail burn the flesh it's attached to. At this rate, I will die from the elements long before I cross the border."

He adjusted the cloak again to cover his right, metal arm more effectively. It clearly caused him pain to move his automail arm, but he continued to move through the sand dunes with the desperation of a man trying to save his lover. He continued to drag his feet forward, but all his effort could only do so much.

A few minutes later he tripped over a jagged rock poking through the even sand. Unable to find the strength to break his fall, he rolled forward several feet until his momentum was lost. When he finally came to stop, he groaned and tried to use his arms to push himself on his feet, only to realize his right arm wasn't moving.

"Damn" he cursed again. "not only has sand gotten in my joints, but the heat has basically fried the nerves in that shoulder. It causes too much pain to even think about moving my automail. Damn it!" Using his only working arm, he was able to flip his body on its back so he was staring at the sky.

"This stupid lump of steel is more of a pain than it's worth right now." He looked down at his right arm, thinking, weighing the pros and cons of what he was about to do. After careful consideration, he made his choice, though it wouldn't be easy.

He used his flesh arm to move the cloak until a scrap of cloth could fit into his mouth, while another part of the cloak completely covered his metal shoulder. Using the cloak to protect his hand from the blazing heat absorbed by the metal, he twisted the automail port until it disconnected from his body. Although he used the scrap of cloth to keep himself from biting his tongue, his moans still betrayed the pain of this procedure.

When his metal arm was completely separated from his shoulder, the boy gave into his fatigue and collapsed back into the sand. He looked up at the sky and began to realize just where he stood at this world. It was kind of depressing.

"I know I need to keep moving, but I don't think I have the energy right now." He sighed. "Damn. Damn this stupid automail arm, damn Drachma and their unnecessary need to expand their boarders, damn Xing and this desert, and damn the sun for being WAY TOO HOT!" He shouted up at the sky, but there was no reply to his rant other than the wind picking up ever so slightly.

He sighed again and let his head fall back into the sand. "I don't have the energy to move right now. The world won't end if I take a small nap, will it?" Although the boy knew that the scenario was actually possible, he still found his eyes closing and his mind drifting away, but not until he had caught sight of some other figures crossing the sands...

_Big sis Elicia!_

_Do you want to save her? I can't, but with this circle, you just might be able to pull it off._

_Daddy! Daddy, I'm so sorry! I just..._

_You've already seen the truth, haven't you?_

_I just want to protect this country! _

The boy slowly opened his dark eyes. He quickly realized that he wasn't at the same place he had fallen asleep. He was lying on a soft bed with warm blankets covering his body, and he appeared to be in some type of building. From the tools and bottles on a shelf in the room the boy could guess this was some kind of hospital.

He heard the sound of speaking to his left and turned his head. There was an open doorway at the far wall of his room, and he could see people walking down what he assumed was a hallway. He noticed that most of the people appeared to have facial features that weren't native to Amestris or any of the surrounding areas, and their clothes were unfamiliar. Even the language they were speaking didn't sound like anything he knew.

_Did I make it? Did I actually get to Xing? _

One of the unfamiliar people passing by the room chanced to look in. When he saw that the boy was awake, he called to someone in his unfamiliar language.

The boy didn't have a clue as to what was going on, so he decided to wait for more information and enjoy his time on a comfortable bed. After a few minutes of enjoying the quiet, a woman who looked to be in her mid 30s and had the facial features native to this area came in. She smiled at the boy, and surprised him by speaking flawless Amestrian.

"Hello. My name is May Chang. I'm an Alkahestrist, a kind of healer. This is a Hospital in Xing. Some merchants found you in the desert and brought you here. Could you tell me your name?" Her face was calm, and the boy could tell she was trying to make him feel safe. Maybe it was working.

But he knew he couldn't forget his mission. "Is this really Xing?" He asked.

The woman frowned, but nodded. "Yes. Where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Amestris." He started to move his arms in order to get up, only to realize his right arm was missing. "My Automail?"

"The people who found you also found your automail right arm right beside you. It was badly damaged, but don't worry, we've got the best engineer in the country building you a new one."

"From scratch?" The boy looked worried. "No, that will take too long, and my automail is special. I've had some modifications made, and need to get going. Please, just give me back what you have." He started to get up, but the woman came and pushed him back onto the bed.

"No way! You are severely dehydrated and have 3rd degree burns where your automail was attached. You are in no shape to leave this bed. Just relax and focus on getting better. I'm sure wherever you have to be will be waiting for you when you get better."

"No! You don't understand! I need to speak with the Emperor! My country's fate is dependent on it!" The boy was frantic, trying to fight against the woman's attempts to get him to lie back down.

"What? Why do you need to speak to the Emperor?" The woman asked.

The boy opened his mouth to explain, then realized something terrible. He looked at the woman, scared out of his mind. "My bag? Please tell me you have my bag!"

The woman sighed and went over to one of the cabinets. She pulled out a gray knapsack and brought it over to the boy. "Is this the bag you were asking for?"

The boy took it and frantically searched for what he needed. He pulled out a sealed letter and a torn up notebook and sighed. "Good, they're still here."

The woman watched the boy finally relax and decided to speak. "Look, I may actually be able to get you to meet with the Emperor, but I'm going to need a good reason. Could you at least tell me your name and why you need to see him?"

The boy looked up with a serious look on his face. "My name is Maes Mustang, and I need to speak with the Emperor because Drachma has plans that might destroy the world."

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**Beta'd by awesomenaruto**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Well, I guess this can only get better... Thank you SpenstarianCreed1 for being my first follower. Like I said, I adore all reviews and responses, even if they are telling me where I need to improve. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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After Maes dropped the bombshell about the end of the world, May Chang promised him that she would try to find a way for him to see the Emperor. However, she did qualify it by telling him there was no way he would get his chance in the next week, so she could have very easily just said that to calm him down. Nevertheless, it was the best chance to complete his mission he had while in this state, so he decided to go along with it.

Now Maes was stuck in a hospital bed till at least the end of the week. He still didn't have his right arm, but he had been assured that he could get his new one as soon as it was ready. He tried to ask the doctors if he could talk to the engineer about special modifications, but it looked like the only person who spoke Amestrian in this place was Ms. Chang.

"I just need to tell her to use the same substance on the fingertips. It shouldn't be that hard, just reuse stuff on my old arm. The fingers didn't get busted up." Maes had resorted to thinking aloud due to the lack of conversation. "I could live without them I guess, but it means I won't be able to use _that_ technique."

"Why are you talking to yourself?"

Maes stiffened. He turned to where this new voice was coming from, the door. A young girl, not much younger than Maes, was standing in the open doorway. Her clothes looked like the unfamiliar garments everyone else in the hospital wore, but her facial features weren't anything like the others. Her blond hair was very familiar to Maes, and although the color of her golden eyes was startling, the general shape looked like how he was used to. Overall, she looked like an Amestrian trying to act like a Xingese woman.

"You... you know my language?" Maes asked. "Are you from Amestris?"

"Uh, yeah." She sat down by Maes's feet on the bed. "I was born in Amestris, but when I was really little Mommy and Daddy took us to Xing for Aunt May and Uncle Al's wedding. When we showed up at the train station to go home, we found out that there was some kind of problem with the train and that we would have to wait. By the time the train was ready to be used again, we heard that there was some kind of invasion going on and it wasn't safe to go home." She swung her feet back and forth, and her face looked playful, like she was telling a fairytale. "I've spent more of my life in Xing than in Amestris, but I don't mind. Both countries are pretty cool. At least, I hope Amestris is cool. I don't remember it much."

"Uh, sure." Maes didn't really know how to react to a random girl showing up and telling him her whole life story. "Um, why exactly are you talking to me?"

"Hm?" She looked at him, confused. "You mean you don't want someone to talk to? Isn't that why you were talking to yourself?"

"Uh, well, I guess so... but how did you know I was here?"

"Oh, Aunt May had come by to ask Mom to make an automail arm for somebody. I was curious, so I asked her who it was for, and she told me some guys had found you in the desert. Everybody at the Hospital knows me, so I just asked around until someone told me your room number." She smiled, and then turned to look Maes in the eyes. "Hey, do you know any Alchemy?"

"Huh?" Maes was completely thrown off by the sudden change in topic. "Er, yes, but..."

"That's great!" She was practically jumping off the bed in excitement. "Dad started to teach me before we sorta moved to Xing, but he can't actually perform any Alchemy. My older brother, Isaac, really doesn't have any interest, but he is fairly capable. My Uncle Al is really great at Alchemy, but ever since Aunt May taught him Alkahestry he's been primarily doing that. I think you're one of the first people I've met that is a real Alchemist!"

"Uh, oh, OK" Maes stuttered.

"Like I said, Dad started to teach me Alchemy when we were still living in Amestris. But there is only so much I can learn from books and stuff, so I decided to start learning Alkahestry since there are a bunch of people who can teach me over here. It is cool, and it allows me to heal people like Aunt May, but I do wish I could learn more Alchemy. Do you think you could teach me?"

Maes was still having problems following the conversation. "Uh..."

"You will? Really? That's great!" She ran up to him and tackled him with a hug. "I can't wait for our lessons to start! When do you think you'll be able to start teaching me?"

"Er..." Maes started to struggle out of her grip. "You're holding me... a little too tight."

"Oh, sorry" She let go, but remained sitting where she was. "So, when do you think you'll be able to start teaching me?"

Maes sighed. Looks like she wouldn't just forget about him like he was hoping. "I won't be able to do anything with only one arm, and as soon as I'm out of this bed I plan on leaving. I guess I could teach you a little before I go, if I get my automail completed soon."

"Alright." The girl nodded. "I'll go talk to Mommy right now, tell her to get your automail done as soon as possible. See you!" She started to leave the room.

"Wait!" Maes called her back once her last words truly registered in his brain. "Your mom is the automail engineer working on my arm?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

Maes breathed a sigh of relief. Something good could come out of his unwanted visitor. "Could you ask her to use the original top plates from my old arm's fingers, if possible? If not..."

"Oh yeah! The fingers." She smirked at him. "Mom could tell something was special about them and asked dad to look at them. He told her to put them in your new arm since it was possible you used them for some kind of Alchemy. He said he used to work with a guy who used a similar alchemy, only the substance was on gloves instead of automail."

Maes was a little surprised. This girl's father knew abouthis dad's Alchemy? Maybe it would be worth it to talk to this guy. If he knew his dad, he had to be someone important.

The girl finally left the room completely, only to turn around and stick her head in. "By the way, my name is Nina. Nina Elric. What's yours?"

Maes cleared his throat. "Maes Mustang"

The girl shot him one last smile before leaving him alone with his thoughts. "See you later, Maes."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! This one is much longer than the last two chapters (and probably closer to what I will aim for every chapter, the last two just had a pretty good stopping point). By the way, I named Nina's older brother after Isaac Newton, who in addition to creating Calculus and some of the fundamentals of physics as we know it today, also was an alchemist. Just a random fact for today. **

**Also, don't quote me on anything medical or having to do with the human body. I'm only making this stuff up as I go along, with what little I know about Human Anatomy. Anything I write for Physics, though, will probably be real.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. Just my OCs and the Plot.**

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The little girl, Nina, came to visit Maes everyday after that. She would chatter about everything to him: her studies in Alkahestry, what her friends were doing, what her parents were fighting about this time (the description of those fights made Maes wonder how her parents had ever gotten married in the first place). She usually didn't give Maes a chance to say more than two words at a time, but he didn't really have a reason to talk anyway. He didn't mind letting her talk, although he usually wanted to ask her to leave him alone by the time she finally left.

However, just a few hours after she would leave he would start to feel lonely. The only people he could communicate with in this hospital were Ms. Chang and Nina. After a few hours of nobody to talk to, Maes would start to secretly wish she would come back. Of course, that wish would make a 180 turn as soon as she did show up.

About three days after he first met Nina, May Chang came to see Maes again. "Do you feel like you could walk around a little?"

"Yes." Although he wasn't at his peak, Maes had been feeling what he considered battle-ready for a while. He had suffered far worse in the past.

"Good" the woman nodded. "Your arm has been finished. I'm going to take you to visit the engineer to get it attached, and afterwards I've received permission to keep an eye on you at my house, since it will probably be easier for you in a place where more people know your language."

Maes started to get out of bed. Ms. Chang offered a hand to help him, but Maes stubbornly refused. He wanted to at least stand up on his own. He used the wall to steady himself, and when he was being held up by his own two feet he started to walk forward.

"When will I be able to see the Emperor?" Maes asked.

Ms. Chang sighed. "Hopefully in a couple of days. The elders and their traditions try to make it impossible to get anything important done in Xing, but I am technically a princess, so I do have a little pull."

Maes smiled. "Sounds a lot like the bureaucrats of Amestris. I guess that makes sense." Suddenly, the second part of her statement registered in his mind. "Wait, you're a princess in this country?"

The woman nodded. "Technically, the Emperor is my half brother. His predecessor was my father. We both competed for the throne, and he won. He still agreed to take care of my clan, and since we've gone through a lot of things together, we're on good terms. He values my opinion, and he actually owes my husband and brother-in-law a lot. I have no doubt we'll be able to get you to meet with him."

Maes thanked his lucky stars that he had fallen into the care of the one person who could help him with his goal. He continued to hobble on his own two feet down the hallway until he walked through a door into the open air. There was a stone path leading from the doorway to a building a little ways off, and Ms. Chang directed Maes to head toward it.

"Hey, Princess Chang..." Maes started to ask.

"Please, Ms. Chang or May. I would actually like it if you called me Aunt May, like my adorable niece and nephew. I believe you already met one of them, Nina?"

Maes scowled. "Yeah. She kept bugging me about teaching her Alchemy when I get better. She's very..." He couldn't quite find the right word.

"Enthusiastic?" Aunt May suggested.

"Loquacious." Maes finally decided.

Aunt May laughed. "Yes, I guess that is an apt description of her. She's a very bright young lady, but she doesn't get as much opportunity to study her passion here as she would have if she was still in Amestris. She is a master at Alkahestry, but I can tell that she really wants to explore the alchemy her father is always telling her about."

Maes thought about all the things he knew about Alchemy, which was much more than most Alchemists. He remembered his special abilities, both those he'd learned from his father and teacher and those that could only be learned from experiencing true horrors...

_"Give me back big sis!"_

_"Some people call me God, others,the universe, still others, the truth. I am all, and I am one, and I am also you."_

_"What... what's happening?"_

_"That is all you get for the toll you paid."_

Maes shook himself out of the past and those horrible memories. He stopped and turned to look at Aunt May. "Trust me when I say this, not all aspects of Alchemy are all that great. Some of it... some of it is downright terrifying. And the way things are going in Amestris right now, she really wouldn't get the opportunity to learn the details of Alchemy safely. Most of the best Alchemists are on the front lines of the war."

Aunt May nodded. "I know that, my husband knows that, her parents definitely know that. Maybe she'll finally listen when you explain it to her."

Maes nodded and continued walking. When they finally made it to the house, Aunt May opened the door for Maes. As he slipped in, he noticed that a lot of the furniture looked like the Amestrian style he was used to, with a few Xingese elements thrown in. There was a large bookshelf that took up the entire far wall, and at its base reading a book was...

Nina looked up from her book and smiled. "Maes! And Aunt May!" She jumped up and ran to greet them. "How are you doing? Mom finally finished your arm, so you'll be able to show some of your Alchemy now, won't you? Remember, you promised!"

Maes found himself on his last nerve with this girl already. "I don't recall promising anything. _You _just decided I would teach you Alchemy, and never gave me a chance to say no!"

The girl looked confused, and a little sad. "You mean, you don't want to teach me alchemy? Even though you're the first Alchemists my age I've met for as long as I can remember?"

Maes gritted his teeth. "Look, I never said I would or wouldn't teach you. A lot of that depends on whether or not I think you plan on taking it seriously. Alchemy is dangerous; it's not something little girls should be playing around with."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Dad and Uncle Al have told me a thousand times. Alchemy is dangerous. It has primarily developed for military purposes in Amestris. They've told me the story about the man who turned his own daughter into a Chimera enough. But despite all that, I do still think that Alchemy has the potential to help a lot of people. I just have to acknowledge that there are some bad parts of Alchemy and try to stay only with the good parts."

Maes looked into her eyes, pleading, hopeful, innocent. How long had it been since he had been that innocent? There had been at time when he would beg his father to show him Alchemy just like how she was begging now, but now whenever he looked at his father, it was begging for forgiveness. Not that Maes truly believed he would ever be worthy of the forgiveness he seeks. In his arrogance and stupidity, he had committed the ultimate sin, and would suffer as payment for the one moment he had attempted to play God.

But Nina... she was so much like how he used to be. Enthusiastic and excited about Alchemy and hungry for knowledge. She knew at least some of the dangers, but she still wanted to proceed. As someone who had gone before her, it was Maes's duty guide her and make sure that she didn't make the same mistakes he had. Maybe this way, he could finally rectify himself and be able to face his father's disappointed gaze.

Maes sighed. "Fine, I'll teach you what I can."

Nina started literally jumping for joy. "Yay!"

"But first I need to get my arm and recover from getting it attached again." he warned her.

A voice that Maes didn't recognize came from the far door. "In other words, don't expect him to do much for you today."

Maes turned to see who it was that had spoken. A woman, probably in her mid 30s, with blond hair and blue eyes was standing at the doorway. She reminded Maes of his mother, but this woman was a bit younger and wore her hair longer. Also, where Maes had only seen his Mother in either formal wear or military-issued clothing, this woman was wearing a pair of coveralls bathed in motor oil. But what he was most interested in was what she was holding.

The automail arm looked amazing, just the kind of stuff everyone at Rush Valley would do anything to look at. Even though he wasn't an engineer, Maes could appreciate the sleek design. He couldn't wait to see how it would move when attached to his arm.

The woman smiled. "Hello Maes. I'm Winry Elric, Nina's mom and May's sister-in-law. How about you take a seat while I attach your arm? I'm sure you don't want to be somewhere you can fall when I reconnect your nerves."

Maes's face fell and he gulped. Right, reconnecting the nerves... always fun. He sat down on the nearest chair and looked away from Ms. Elric and his missing arm.

"Now, it's probably going to hurt worse than it normally does since your ports are still sore from the burns, but I have to attach it as soon as possible if you want to be able to move your arm at all when it does recover. Try to bear with me, OK?" She tried to comfort Maes as she attached the outer parts of the automail to his port.

He simply nodded and tried to find something in the room to focus on. He noticed the books on the other side of the room, and tried to figure out what they were about. He could barely make out a transmutation circle on one of their spines.

"Are you ready?" Ms. Elric asked, though she could probably tell that he would never be ready. "One, two..."

She snapped the last part of the automail into place. Although Maes was able to bite back his screams, a strangled cry still escaped from his mouth.

"All done" Ms. Elric reassured Maes. "He's all yours, May."

Aunt May appeared in front of Maes. "Drink this." She handed him a cup with some blackish-green substance inside. "It's an elixir I made with Alkahestry. It will help you sleep, at least for a few hours, and it will numb the pain." Maes downed the elixir with one gulp and made himself more comfortable in his chair.

"Wait, does this mean he won't be able to teach me Alchemy today?" Nina asked from where she was standing in the corner. She had been so uncharacteristically quiet during this ordeal, Maes had assumed she had left the room.

"We already told you that, Nina." Ms. Elric chastised her daughter. "How about you go help your brother with his experiments?"

Nina pouted. "But daddy is already helping him, and most of what he's been doing recently is dropping things of different weights and seeing how long it takes them to land. It's really boring."

"Maybe it's boring to you, but your brother has always helped you when you wanted help with Alchemy and Alkahestry, and you know he's not interested in those things." Ms. Elric lectured her daughter, "those experiments are just as important to your brother as your Alchemy and Alkahestry lessons are to you. What would your father say about this situation?"

Nina sighed. "Equivalent exchange. Isaac gave me a lot of his time, now I need to give him a lot of mine."

Ms. Elric nodded. "Good girl. Now go help your brother." As Nina took her time going up the stairs, Ms. Elric turned to Aunt May. "Did I really just use equivalent exchange to get my daughter to do what she's been told? I've been married to Ed for way too long!"

When he heard this, Maes let out a weak chuckle before surrendering to sleep.

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**Beta'd by awesomenaruto**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! I'm spoiling you guys with these constant updates... We meet the rest of the family! Possibly not what some of you are expecting, but still...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist**

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When Maes woke up, he probably wouldn't have believed he had actually slept if it weren't for the change in lighting outside his window. When his eyes had closed, it had been midday and the sun was shining through the open window. Now it was close to evening, and the room was mostly lit with the light of a reading lamp by a desk on the other side of the room.

_I guess that elixir made me go into such a deep sleep that I didn't dream. _It was the first time in a long while that Maes hadn't been tormented by memories of _that_ night or other events of the war.

Maes started to push himself up in the chair. His neck was sore from sleeping in an awkward position, but it was his right shoulder that had the most pain. Although he found that his automail did move at his mental commands, it caused him an awful lot of pain. He decided to only use that arm when it was absolutely necessary.

"So, you're already awake?"

Maes looked up at the sound of a voice. A man was sitting at the desk on the other side of the room, his big armchair facing away from Maes so he couldn't tell it was occupied initially. The man had blonde hair and golden eyes just like Nina, and he appeared to be about as old as Mrs. Elric.

"Uh, yes." Maes looked at the man. "Um, may I ask, who are you?"

"Edward Elric, but you can call me Uncle Ed." The man turned back to his desk. "I hope you don't mind, but Isaac kind of commandeered my old study for his projects, so I've been using this room as a place to compile my notes in peace. Winry already told Nina not to disturb you, so I knew I wouldn't get any interruptions if I camped out here."

"I don't mind. It's not like I noticed you were there anyway." Maes stood up, still trying to move his metal arm as little as possible. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, no, of course not!" Uncle Ed assured Maes. "It's almost dinner time anyway, and I'm at a good stopping point. Might as well start putting things away."

Maes waddled over to the desk and looked over Uncle Ed's shoulder. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Compiling my notes."

Maes took a closer look at the books on the desk, and he noticed a lot of them had Alchemic circles or similar symbols on their covers.

Maes looked at Uncle Ed. "Are you an Alchemist?"

The man laughed and scratched his head. "Depends on your definition of Alchemist." He suddenly looked a little sad, like he was thinking of a bad memory. "I... don't transmute anymore, but I have made it my life's work to study Alchemy across the world. Back when we were still living in Amestris, I would travel around the Western nations and learn about all their Alchemic practices. I let my little brother learn about the Alkahestry of the East, and we planned on using our combined knowledge to open a school. Of course, we ended up getting stuck in Xing after Al's wedding, so it hasn't been going that well."

Maes picked up one of the open books. "This looks like some pretty hard-core stuff. You know, you might be able to earn a state certification with your research alone."

"Oh, I already have my state certification."

Maes gasped and looked at the man. "Really?"

Uncle Ed nodded. "Really. I took the test a long time ago, back when I still performed Alchemy. My research has let me pass my yearly assessments ever since, so the higher ups didn't see any reason to take my title away. I probably have lost it now after missing so many assessments while we've been in Xing, but I still have the pocket watch. Nina holds onto it, it magnifies her Alkahestory abilities just as well as Alchemy."

"Wow." Maes knew how hard the test was, and found a new appreciation for Uncle Ed. "What's your title?"

Uncle Ed opened his mouth to tell Maes when another voice interrupted him. "Dinner is ready!"

Maes turned to see who had spoken. The man looked an awful lot like Uncle Ed: blonde hair, golden eyes, close to the same age. The most noticeable difference was his face. It was much more rounded than Uncle Ed's; almost a little chubby by comparison.

The new man started to walk into the room, but stopped when he saw Maes. "Oh good, you're up." The man smiled. "Saves me the trouble of having to wake you. I bet you're hungry after eating hospital food for so long. Want some real food?"

Maes nodded and followed this new man along with Uncle Ed.

"I'm Alphonse, by the way," the new man introduced himself. "Alphonse Elric. But you can just call me Uncle Al."

Maes nodded. "Uh, OK."

Uncle Al led him to a dining room. Like the living room Maes had just slept in, the dining room had a mix of familiar Amestrian styles and foreign Xingese details. The table was set with not only knives, forks, and spoons, but also with chopsticks and soy sauce containers. The table was set for seven, and two of the seats were already taken by Aunt May and Nina.

"Ah good, they're here. Does this mean we can start as soon as Mom brings the food out?" Nina asked.

"We still have to wait for your brother, Nina." Aunt May reminded the little girl.

Mrs. Elric walked in, carrying a large pan. "Alright, in honor of Maes coming to stay with us, I decided to make my special Quiche!" She set the pan in the center of the table and looked around the table. "Where's Isaac?"

Nina piped up. "He said he needed to finish his current experiment. Should I tell him to hurry up?"

The sound of footsteps echoed through the house, and a boy's voice could be heard. "I'm coming! Don't let Nina eat my portion again."

The boy ran into the dining room and sat down next to Maes. He had blond hair and golden eyes just like his sister, Uncle Ed, and Uncle Al. He looked to be around Maes's age, but a little shorter than Maes himself. His hair looked unkempt and stuck out at odd angles, and his clothes were just casual pants and a shirt. He seemed a little... rough to Maes, since he was used to military uniforms and standard cleanliness.

Nina looked at the adults. "Ok, he's here, can we eat now?"

Mrs. Elric ignored her. "Would you like some of this Quiche, Maes?"

Maes nodded and Mrs. Elric started to serve the food, starting with Maes. As he looked at all of them together, Maes couldn't help but notice the family dynamic in the room. "So, I'm guessing all of you are related?"

Uncle Ed nodded. "Al is my little brother and he married May, making her my sister-in-law. I decided to settle down and marry this gearhead..."

Mrs. Elric stopped what she was doing and glared at her husband.

Uncle Ed quickly realized his mistake. "... who is the most amazing woman of all time!" Mrs. Elric continued to serve the dinner, satisfied with her husband's flattery. "We had Isaac and Nina 15 and 13 years ago. We're still waiting for Al and May to get us some adorable nieces and nephews."

"Aw, brother, would you please stop nagging us about that?" Uncle Al rolled his eyes. "We'll have kids when we have kids."

"And it's not like it's any of your business anyway." Aunt May commented.

"Would you guys just shut up and eat BEFORE you completely embarrass yourselves in front of our guest?" Mrs. Elric looked like she was trying not to yell.

The rest of dinner was very quiet, though Maes found it enjoyable nonetheless.

When everyone was done, Isaac and Nina were told to help their mother clean the table. As they took everybody's plates, Aunt May turned to Maes and asked, "Would you like to get settled into you new room? "

Maes nodded and followed her up the stairs. She led him to a room at the far end of the hall. There weren't many decorations in it, and the only furniture Maes could see was an empty dresser and a bed. He did notice his bag sitting on the bed, and quickly checked to make sure everything was still there.

"I'm going to leave this bottle on the dresser." Aunt May instructed him. "It contains another sleeping draught. I know you just had a nap, but I want you to sleep through the night, especially since you need to heal some more. That said, you still have some time before you have to go to bed. If you're interested, I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind it if you read some of his Alchemy books. Nina mentioned you're an Alchemist."

"That's true." Maes considered going down and looking through some more of Uncle Ed's Alchemy books, when he fingered a handwritten notebook. Uncle Ed's words came back to him.

_Back when we were still living in Amestris, I would travel around the Western nations and learn about all their Alchemic practices._

Suddenly, Maes raced down the stairs to the living room, almost running over Aunt May in the process. He ran up to Uncle Ed, who was writing at his desk again. "Uncle Ed! Did you really learn about Alchemy in other Western nations?"

Uncle Ed looked surprised by Maes's sudden outburst. "Uh, yes?"

"Did you learn anything about Drachman Alchemy?"

Uncle Ed was starting to look a little worried. "Uh, yeah. A little."

Maes opened the notebook to a specific page and showed Uncle Ed the circle drawn there. "Do you have any idea what this does?"

Uncle Ed gasped and his face turned deathly white. He took the notebook out of Maes's hands. "My god, they're actually still attempting it." Uncle Ed shook his head in disbelief, and then looked at Maes. "This is the reason why you finally decided to come to Xing for help, isn't it?"

Maes nodded. "We don't know exactly what that does, but we do have intelligence that says it has the potential to destroy the world, and we think they are using captured soldiers for their experiments."

Uncle Ed took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I need to think." He gave Maes back the notebook. "Talk to me again before you see the emperor. I want to either go with you or at least write a note to tell him what exactly what we're facing, since he might understand at least some aspects."

Maes agreed and took the notebook again.

Nina walked in. "Maes! Hey, do you think you could start to teach me some more Alchemy now?"

Maes started to think up some excuse so he could avoid her for at least a little while longer, but Uncle Ed interrupted.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. How about you take him outside so you can show him what you already know?"

Nina smiled. "Ok daddy! Come on, Maes. I think you'll be impressed!" She then proceeded to drag the boy out of the room and into the front yard.

Although Maes wasn't happy about being forced to watch Nina make toys out of the earth, it was a good thing that she had come when she did. Because as soon as both children were out of the room, Edward Elric buried his face in his hands and cried, wishing that he had seen and stopped it earlier. He mourned for all the lives that had been lost because he hadn't been there, and began to try to decode his own understanding of the situation and realize what might possibly be the best solution.

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**Please Read, Review, Follow and Favorite! And don't be afraid to tell me anything when you do review!**

**Beta'd by awesomenaruto**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Wow, I'm really on a role! I guess it's just because this story somehow lends itself to short chapters right now, and I'm very bored with real life. By the way, I recently went back to my previous chapters and checked for any obvious grammar mistakes. If you see any that I missed, don't be afraid to tell me. Better yet, if anyone would be interested in becoming my Beta, I would really appreciate it. Just PM me! (I also wouldn't mind some cover art, if anyone's interested.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Fullmetal Alchemist. Just my OCs and the plot.**

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Maes woke up very early the next morning. Although he didn't consider himself a morning person, he had conditioned himself over the years to wake up with the sun and get dressed in his military best while still half asleep. He had first picked up this habit when he was little and his parents needed to meet military regulations, but when he went to stay with teacher he picked it back up as a reminder of home and happier times. Now it was just part of his morning routine.

After getting dressed, he went downstairs as quietly as possible, trying not to wake up anyone else in the house. Maes wasn't used to doing nothing; for as long as he could remember, he had been either studying Alchemy, doing things for his father, or trying to end the invasion. He didn't believe in the concept of "free time." As such, spending over three days in a hospital bed had been excruciatingly boring. Now he was itching to do something, anything. And he knew exactly where some complicated Alchemy books were for him to study.

Maes crept into the living room and went up to Uncle Ed's desk. After Maes had left to see Nina's Alchemy, Uncle Ed had stayed at this desk working on something until Mrs. Elric had come and forced all of her family members as well as Maes to go to bed. He knew this because he had repeatedly tried to sneak away from Nina to talk with Uncle Ed some more, but had been unable to pull the man away from his notes. From the way the desk was set up, it looked like he had stopped in the middle and planned on continuing where he had left off.

Maes leaned over and looked at the handwritten documents scattered across the desk. At the far corner, a small bound notebook titled_ The Sights and Sounds of Xing_ lay seemingly forgotten, though Maes could have sworn that was what Uncle Ed had been working on yesterday. To one side, a large Atlas lay open to a map of Drachma's capital city. Most of the desk was covered in scraps of paper with incomplete alchemic circles drawn all over them, but in the center were a couple of clean sheets of paper with a few lines of words scribbled on them.

Maes leaned in and started to read what Uncle Ed had written. The one on top caught his eye first.

_Dante's church: Every traveler knows that it is forbidden to trespass on God's domain. However, the parishioners of this timeless miracle are more than happy to allow inside those who show their God respect. With its beautiful stained-glass windows and skilled craftsmanship of the statues, the church is truly a sight to behold. Just be sure to follow the local customs and take off your hat as you walk in._

_The North Gate: For those who wish to attempt the impossible, they will go through this gate. Leading into the northernmost part of an already northern country, this gate is rarely used by people. The safest way to get to the far North of Drachma is by the train, which leaves the city a different way. This gate primarily serves as a tourist trap and a relic of the past. _

_The Great Courthouse: Here the traveler can find out the truth. _

Maes looked up from the paper, utterly confused. Why was Uncle Ed writing a traveling guide to Drachma's capital city? It didn't make any sense. Was he planning for future employment in case the Drachmans took over the world?

Maes looked up from the desk to the bookshelf behind it. There were lots of books about different areas of Alchemy there. Maes picked one he didn't recognize, _Deconstructing and Reconstructing Gaseous Elements_, and brought it over to the chair. Within a few minutes, he was dead to the world, focusing on understanding this new information. He found that it was really helpful, especially since he had some prior knowledge on the subject.

A while later, after Maes had already absorbed the first two chapters and was plowing through the third, two golden eyes peered over his shoulder. "Whatchya reading, Maes?" Nina asked in a sing-song voice.

Maes sighed and put the book down, knowing full well that she wouldn't let up. "Just some Alchemy stuff."

"Oh, OK then." She went around the chair so she stood in front of him. "Do you want to show me some of your Alchemy now?"

Maes sighed and stood up. "Not here. I don't want to mess with any of your family's things. Let's go outside."

Nina squealed and practically dragged him through the door. When they got outside, she pulled him into the middle of a clearing a little away from the house, the same place where she had done some pretty good Alchemy last night. Maes had actually been pretty impressed when he saw what she could do, he would probably classify her as an intermediate Alchemist, not good enough to pass the state certification, but a whole lot better than a few of the idiots who tried the test and failed.

"Well, come on show me what you can do!" Nina challenged. "Do you need something to draw transmutation circles with?"

Maes waved her off. "No, no I'm good." He clapped his hands together, metal against skin, in a position similar to prayer. He then placed both hands on the ground and fashioned an armchair out of the ground.

Nina gasped. "Oooh!"

Maes chuckled. "And that's not even the good stuff."

"You didn't need a transmutation circle! Just like Uncle Al."

Maes looked up, surprised. "Wait, your Uncle doesn't need a transmutation circle? He can just clap his hands and transmute like I just did?"

Nina nodded. "Apparently, dad didn't need any either, back when still did Alchemy."

Maes shook his head in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how amazing that is? To do be able to do that, you must have a deep understanding of Alchemy. Very few people are capable of reaching that level of understanding."

Nina shrugged. "Yeah, well, I guess so. But didn't you reach that level of understanding?"

Maes looked at the ground. "I... I don't count. I did something bad and was shown the truth. I basically used a shortcut."

"Oh." Nina looked sad for a while, and then looked towards the house. "Hey look! Uncle Al is up! Hey Uncle Al!"

Maes looked back toward the house. He caught sight of the man where he was watching the children on the front porch. For a moment, their eyes met, and Maes could feel Alphonse Elric pitying him, though Maes couldn't figure out exactly why.

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Alphonse woke up that morning completely refreshed. Last night, he and May... well... let's just say they had a bit of fun. It had been the first time in a while, too. May had been so busy at the hospital recently, and very often would have to stay late. When she did come home, she would be to tired to do anything but sleep. Al didn't complain, but he did occasionally find himself longing for the days when her primary job was the Xingese Ambassador to Amestris.

After Al had traveled around the East to learn Alkahestry, Emperor Ling had asked him to accompany May while she fulfilled her duties as Ambassador. Al had been more than happy to act like her bodyguard, especially since it gave him an excuse to see all his friends in the military he had met while a suit of armor, as well as show May all the great things about his home. One thing led to another, and Al eventually got up the nerve to pop the question. She said yes, obviously, but insisted on having the wedding in Xing so the Emperor and her entire clan could come. Al agreed, since he knew the railway between Xing and Ishval meant his brother and some other really important friends could come. But it didn't go as smoothly as they thought, and after some technical difficulties at the train station in Xing followed by the news of a war in Amestris, May, Alphonse, and all their wedding guests had been stuck in Xing indefinitely.

Al left his room as quietly as possible, in order to not wake May up. He decided to go check on their newest houseguest and patient so that would be one more thing May wouldn't have to do when she finally did get up. He was initially confused when he went to the boy's room and found it empty, until he heard the front door close and looked out the window. Nina was dragging Maes out to the front lawn, probably to practice some alchemy.

Al decided to keep an eye on the kids, in case Maes did something that might aggravate his injuries. However, he was shocked by what he saw. The boy was actually able to transmute without a circle! When had he seen the truth? Assuming that this really was the Maes Mustang Al had seen in Riza Hawkeye's arms all those years ago (no, it's Riza Mustang, she's been married for a long time now), then why hadn't his father stopped him from attempting Human Transmutation? Well, it was possible that Maes had hidden his intentions very well, but still...

Al turned away from the window and went to find his brother. After a quick peek in Ed and Winry's room told Al that they were both already up, Al went to the room Ed had made into a study, at least until Isaac commandeered it. When got there, he was greeted by the sight of Isaac packing up all his stuff and Ed sorting through the remaining equipment.

"Uh, why are you guys packing up?" Al asked. "Don't you still have some more experiments to do, Isaac?"

"Dad needs some privacy for a new project." Isaac explained.

"Sorry again to kick you out." Ed apologized, "but this thing is really important, and I need to finish it as soon as possible."

"It's all right." Isaac shrugged. "I was actually planning on doing some larger experiments for more accurate results anyway, and for those I will have to move outside."

Ed smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "You sure are dedicated, aren't you?" He then turned to his younger brother. "Do you need something Al?"

"Actually, I came to talk to you." Al walked up to his brother and whispered in his ear, "Maes can transmute without a circle."

Ed's face paled. "Isaac, I'll be back in a minute." He led Al to an empty room and closed the door. Ed turned toward his brother. "Are you certain?"

Al nodded. "He clapped his hands together, touched the ground, and made a chair. He did it without any other materials, unless he had something up his sleeve, which is highly doubtful because of the clapping."

Ed closed his eyes for a moment. "Well, I guess now we know how he got that arm. I hate to see how his father dealt with it, knowing that the General was almost as bad as Hughes with the doting father routine, as well as the fact he knew exactly what the kid went through."

"I hadn't thought about that." Al considered. "Are you sure he's who he says he is?"

"Have you _seen_ the kid?" Ed chuckled. "He's a miniature version of his father, right down to the stupid self-sacrifice attitude."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"He also probably does Flame Alchemy."

Al gasped. "Really? What makes you think that?"

"Those finger plates he was so obsessed with? They're coated in a substance similar to his father's ignition gloves. When he rubs them together hard enough it should create a spark. All he would need then is a transmutation circle, which I now know is unnecessary." Ed turned and looked out the window, where he could see the subject of their conversation arguing with Nina. "You know this might actually be a good thing."

Al looked at his brother, confused. "What do you mean, brother?"

"My new project... he might be able to understand what is needed to be done."

"What are you talking about? What's the deal with this new project?"

"Maes showed me a circle, the Drachmans are planning something terrible, and big. I need to find some way to fix this."

Al shook his head. "Why do you need to fix it? What is it anyway?"

"Something I saw when I visited Drachma, and thought that I'd put a stop to. Apparently I wasn't as successful as I'd hoped."

Al sighed. "Come on brother, you can tell me. It can't be worse than the Philosopher's Stone, can it?"

"Actually, it can." Edward looked his little brother in the eye, dead serious. "It is the one thing in the world that has the potential to be at least as bad as a Philosopher's Stone, if not worse."

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**Before anybody asks, Maes's interpretation of how people are able to transmute without circles is actually wrong. He thinks it works this way because of how Roy explained his ability back before Maes had seen the Truth. Maes never wanted to talk about it around anyone who could have set him straight, so he just continued assuming what he thought was true. **

**Also, Al and Ed refer to Roy as "the General" because that was his rank when they last saw each other, but that's not true now. Though you can probably guess what I mean, you'll find out for sure later on in the story.**

**As always, please review, follow, and favorite!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Sorry for the long wait... I just didn't feel like writing that much over the weekend. Instead, I gave you a much longer chapter! At first this was just going to be really short filler that brings in Isaac and his obsession, but then I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to start exploring Maes's past.**

**Also, I now have a Beta! A great big Thank You to awesomenaruto for looking over these chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. Or Physics, for that matter.**

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"Maes! Nina! Where are you?" Mrs. Elric's voice reached where the two teenagers were practicing. "It's breakfast time!"

"We're coming!" Nina called back. "Come on Maes."

The young boy nodded and followed her inside. They had spent almost an hour in the front yard going through some basic Alchemy practices. Although Maes had gotten used to using his own body as a circle, he was still able to show her the matrices he based most of his transmutations after. She caught on pretty quick, and he was starting to worry that he'd run out of things to teach her.

In the house, Mrs. Elric was taking the muffins out of the oven. The aroma made Maes's mouth water, and he started to realize just how hungry he was. He sat down at the table next to Nina with her brother on his other side.

"Mmmm... blueberry muffins?" Isaac asked. "You're the best, mom."

Mrs. Elric chuckled. "Well thank you, sweety." She noticed that Nina's hand was sneaking toward the food and slapped it away. "You know to wait until everyone sits down."

Nina pouted until Uncle Al, Aunt May, and Uncle Ed all came and sat down at the table.

"Now you can start," Mrs. Elric instructed her daughter.

The next few minutes were defined by munching, chewing, and people asking others to pass the muffins and butter. Eventually, though, Mrs. Elric noticed that her son's glass remained untouched.

"Isaac," she growled. "You haven't touched your milk."

The teenaged boy scowled. "So? It's disgusting."

Uncle Ed cut in. "Come on, Winry, if he doesn't like it he shouldn't have to drink it."

Mrs. Elric glared at her husband. "I blame you. You're the one who infected our son with this disease. It's healthy and will make you grow taller."

"I'm not short!" Isaac protested.

"Yes you are," Nina rebutted.

Maes decided the safest thing to do was stay out of the argument and down his own glass of milk as quickly as possible.

Mrs. Elric, though, was still looking at him. "Maes, is it just me or are you deliberately trying to avoid using your right arm as much as possible."

Maes gulped down the last of his milk. "Er, yes. It's not your fault, as far as I can tell the automail is working perfectly, but it still causes me a lot of pain when I try to move."

Mrs. Elric nodded. "I was worried about that. The nerve endings in your shoulder were severely damaged, but I think it would be better if we just let them heal slowly. The only other option would be to surgically move the port past the damaged tissue, but I'd like to avoid that as much as possible."

Maes's face paled and he nodded. What she was describing sounded an awful lot like the first automail surgery, which he really didn't want to go through again.

"Unfortunately, if we want to avoid that second option, you're going to have to keep those nerves active. I want you to move that arm. Nothing to strenuous, just move the fingers around a little every so often and occasionally extend your elbow. Little things like that."

Maes nodded, though he wasn't all that happy about it.

Isaac looked up from his plate. "Hey mom, do you think picking small objects up and dropping them would be like what he needs?"

Mrs. Elric blinked. "Uh, I guess so. Why do you ask?"

Isaac just smirked and turned to Maes. "How would you like to help me with my experiments?"

Nina groaned. "Please, say no. It's so boring!"

"You just don't like it because it has nothing to do with Alchemy." Isaac barked at his sister.

"Uh, what do you do in these experiments?" Maes asked. Some kind of experiment that didn't involve Alchemy? He'd never heard of such a thing.

Isaac smirked. "I'm glad you asked. You see, I got the idea when I was getting apples for Mom's famous Apple Pie..."

"Basically, he wants to know why things fall," Nina interrupted.

Isaac sighed. "Well, yes, but it's a little more complicated than that."

Maes blinked. "You know, I've never really thought about that. It's just one of those things that always happen."

Isaac nodded. "Well, I want to find out why, how, and what laws it follows. I'm sure it can be explained with science, just like everything in the world."

Nina shook her head. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway, because Maes promised me he'd help me with Alchemy today. Isn't that right, Maes?"

"Actually..." Maes considered what evidence he could present that worked to his advantage. "From what Mrs. Elric said, it sounds like I shouldn't be using my arm to much, and doing advanced Alchemy my way is very taxing on my arms. Besides, what I showed you earlier is almost everything that I know and can teach."

Nina sighed. "Fine, go ahead and help Isaac, but don't come crying to me when you get bored to tears." She nibbled a little on one of the muffins, eyeing the others at the table. "Hey, Aunt May?"

Aunt May looked up. "What is it, Nina?"

"I think you should know, the dragon's pulse is doing something... strange around your tummy area."

Aunt May frowned. "What do you mean? Should I see a doctor?"

Nina shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. It actually feels... good. Like something really great is happening."

Uncle Al snorted. "Well, I'll have to take your word for it, since I don't sense anything like that."

Nina looked frustrated. "No, you wouldn't because whatever is happening is infused with both your and Aunt May's life force. It's like they're... mingling and working together to do something amazing."

Everyone at the table looked thoroughly confused. Isaac leaned over and whispered to Maes, "You just really want to get away from her craziness, don't you?"

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"Alright Maes, are you ready?" Isaac called up to the roof.

Maes nodded from where he sat on the roof. He was holding a small rubber ball in his metal hand out over the side of the building. He had a box full of different objects with varying sizes, shapes, and weights to his right. Below his feet, several markers extended out of the house's wall to measure the distance from the ground. Maes had been a little worried when Isaac asked him to make them with Alchemy, but Isaac assured him that Uncle Al had given them permission.

Isaac sat on the ground with his notebook and a bunch of stopwatches. The goal of this experiment was supposedly to not only time how long it took different objects to fall to the ground, but also how long it took them to reach each of the markers. At least, that's what Maes gathered from Isaac's long-winded explanation about "instantaneous speed" and "constant acceleration." All Maes really needed to know was his job: drop what Isaac told him when Isaac told him. Isaac would worry about everything else.

"Alright Maes," Isaac called up, his hands on the stopwatches. "Ready, set, DROP!"

Maes dropped the rubber ball and watched it hit the ground. Isaac fiddled with his stopwatches as he watched it fall, then recorded his times in the notebook. Maes just stared at his feet hanging off the side of the building.

"Ok Maes, do you have the ball of metal scrap?" Isaac called up when he finished recording his previous times.

Maes searched through the box at his side until he found what Isaac had asked for. "Got it!" Maes called down and held the metal ball out.

Isaac nodded and reset his timers. "Ok, ready, set, DROP."

Maes dropped the ball and waited while Isaac recorded his data again. Then he repeated the process with a cotton ball. Then a piece of metal that probably came off an automail limb. Then a teddy bear that had the name "Nina Elric" scrawled on the tag (Isaac assured Maes that he had saved it from the trashcan after his sister had thrown it out). The same motions were repeated over and over again, and Maes actually found it kind of soothing. He wasn't the kind of person who did well doing nothing, his discontent in the hospital was proof enough. However, by doing menial tasks that didn't require much effort or thought he was able to relax, content that he was at least doing something. There wasn't anything he could do to see the Emperor faster, but at least he could keep himself moderately busy.

As he continued to go through the repetitive motions, Maes found his mind drifting off to a distant memory, back when everything was as simple as his current task...

_A six-year-old Maes Mustang squirmed in his chair. He was really, really bored. The official ceremony his dad was participating in had yet to start, but he had been sitting in this seat for over an hour. His mom had talked with him for a little while, but a few ladies had engaged her in conversation a few minutes ago. He didn't even have his dad's old pocketwatch to play with right now since daddy needed it for the ceremony._

_Maes looked to his left and looked at the 16 year old girl sitting next to him. She was sitting perfectly polite with her hands in her lap and her ankles crossed, staring into the distance like a princess in a tower. He had come to really admire her these past few months since his family had permanently moved to Central and she had become his babysitter. Since Mom and Dad had a lot of work nowadays, he had spent a lot of time in her care._

_The girl turned and smiled at him. "Don't worry, the ceremony is scheduled to start any minute now. Just wait a little longer, Ok?"_

_Maes nodded. "I know, big sis Elicia." He looked down at the ground and used the tip of his shoe to draw an Alchemic circle in the ground. If he could just kneel down and put his hands on the transmutation circle, he could make himself a small toy. However, he'd promised his Mom he wouldn't get his new suit dirty, and kneeling down and getting dirt on his knees definitely counted as getting his clothes dirty._

_"Uh, hey there."_

_Maes turned around in his seat. A young teenage boy with black hair was sitting right behind him and trying to get big sis Elicia's attention. Maes decided to help the boy out and tap her shoulder._

_She turned and looked around. "What is it?" Elicia then noticed the older boy. "Oh, uh, hello. Do I, know you?"_

_The older boy swallowed. "Um, you may not remember me, and I don't blame you if that's the case, but I saw you at the Fallen Soldier's Banquet a few months back. I... just wanted to say hi, since I'm sitting right behind you." The boy appeared to be blushing, but Maes couldn't figure out why._

_Big sis Elicia blinked. "Oh, now I remember. You're Selim Bradley, right?"_

_The older boy nodded._

_"Well, it's nice to see you Selim. I'm Elicia Hughes, and this little guy is Maes." She patted Maes's head._

_Selim looked at Maes, seeming to just now realize the younger boy was there. "Oh, hey there little guy." Selim then turned back to Elicia. "Is he your little brother?"_

_Elicia laughed. "Sort of. His parents were good friends with my dad, and I've been babysitting him after school ever since they got back to Central from directing the rebuilding of Ishval. He calls me big sis."_

_At that point, everyone in the audience stopped what they were doing and stood up, including Maes. A bunch of commanding officers in full uniform came on stage and took their seats. The one who had led them, a much older man with more medals and ribbons than the others, came up to the podium and began to speak after letting the crowd sit down again._

_"Eleven years ago, I was asked to take the position of Fuhrer after the death of King Bradley. It has been a long journey since then..."_

_Maes leaned to the side and whispered to his mother. "Grandpa Grumman talks a lot."_

_His mother chuckled and kissed his head._

_After several minutes of political and military speech, the man at the podium changed his tone. "However, it is well past time for me to retire. So, it is my honor to announce the man who will be taking my place as leader of the country of Amestris, the Flame Alchemist and Twice Hero of Ishval, General Roy Mustang."_

_Everyone stood up and applauded while the previous Fuhrer, Grumman, stepped down to make room for Maes's dad. Maes kind of wanted to cheer, since he knew how hard his father had worked for this moment, but decided to reign his excitement in._

_Maes's dad took the podium. "My fellow Amestrians, today I stand before you as nothing more than a tiny human being trying to protect as many people as he can..."_

_Maes settled down for another long speech. "Daddy talks a lot too," he muttered._

_His mother must have heard him, since she gave him a small smile before pulling him to rest on her shoulder._

_A while later, Roy Mustang reached the end of his speech. "I leave you with this promise: that I will do everything in my power to protect you, my fellow Amestrians. All I ask in return is that you promise to protect those you love. It's the most we tiny humans can do for each other." With that, he stepped back and the entire audience stood up for a standing ovation._

"Hey! Isaac, what are you doing with my teddy bear?"

Maes jumped slightly when he was pulled out of his memory by Nina's angry cry. He sighed as he watched the two siblings quarrel, struggling to keep his mind in the present and not in his memories of happier times.

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**Please Read, Review, Follow and Favorite!**

**Beta'd by awesomenaruto**


	7. Chapter 7

Four days after Maes had come to stay with the Changs and Elrics, Aunt May announced that she had pulled a few strings and gotten Maes in to see the Emperor.

Nina gasped, "Really? Does this mean we'll be visiting the palace?"

Mrs. Elric frowned at her daughter, "Maybe, but not all of us have to come. I probably ought to go, since I haven't had a chance to tune-up Lan Fan's arm..."

Nina jumped up and started pleading with her mom, "Please? Please can I go? It's been so long since I've seen Fu!" She backed up her begging with puppy-dog eyes.

Mrs. Elric bit her lip. "Well, I guess since I'm going I can keep an eye on you." Nina squealed and tackled her Mom with a hug.

Uncle Ed spoke up, "I probably ought to go as well. I may be able to help Maes plead his case."

Isaac looked up from where he was graphing his data. "Wait, if you're both going does that mean I have to go too? But I'm close to a major breakthrough!"

Uncle Al turned to Uncle Ed, "Actually, I was planning on staying here to help at the hospital, but I could go in your place if you want. My Xingese is much better than yours, and if you're going to talk to the Elders and scholars..."

Uncle Ed shook his head. "What I have to say won't make any sense to the bureaucrats anyway. I need to tell the Emperor about it myself."

Uncle Al sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'll just stay here and keep an eye on Isaac."

Aunt May looked around and counted the people planning on going. "So, five tickets to the capital then?"

Uncle Al frowned. "Oh, are you going as well?"

Aunt May nodded. "Yeah. I need to vouch for Maes. Also, I really need to get out of the hospital for a little while. All the Alkahestrists have been looking at me strangely recently, and it's starting to bug me."

Uncle Al looked a little sad, but didn't dispute her choice.

As such, Maes found himself on a train to the Capital of Xing that evening, squished between an excited Nina and the train window. It actually was a pretty good view, the Xingese countryside was very beautiful. Weathered mountains twisted at odd shapes decorated the landscape, and workers were busy at the rice fields covering almost every flat piece of land outside the cities. The people seemed happy and content, not unlike how most farmers and workers looked like before the invasion and in the few southern areas that had remained untouched by the carnage.

"Now Maes," Aunt May's voice pulled Maes from the scenery, "Your meeting with the Emperor will be in the Hall of Order, where the Elders and Scholars meet with his Imperial Majesty to conduct matters of the State. Your meeting will be brief, and you probably won't get a chance to say everything you need to, but don't get frustrated. We'll stay in the city for a while so you can meet him again, hopefully in situations that allow you to explain everything."

Maes nodded. "I understand. I knew it would be difficult going into this, but I also promised I wouldn't leave Xing until I had assurance from the Emperor himself that they would help Amestris." Maes noticed a small head peeping over Aunt May's shoulder. "Uh, Aunt May? What is that on your shoulder?"

"Hmmm?" Aunt May looked over at the creature. "Oh, Xiao-Mei! You decided to come along too!"

Uncle Ed scowled. "Damn cat."

Aunt May glared at him. "She's a panda bear. And my best friend." She held out the black-and-white, fuzzy animal to Maes. "Want to pet her, Maes?"

"Uh, sure." Maes reached out his hand to scratch the panda's head, but practically jumped out of his seat when she bit his finger. "OUCH! What the hell!"

Nina, oddly, was smiling. "Awww, she likes you."

Maes tried to free his finger from the creature's teeth. "THIS is liking me?"

Uncle Ed scoffed. "Like I said, damn cat."

Aunt May pulled the animal away from Maes. "Panda bear. And she's just establishing herself as a predator, it's how she greets new people. Her growth was stunted by an illness and her mother abandoned her. I nursed her back to health, and she's been with me ever since. She's my best friend."

"Uh-huh." Maes decided not to question Aunt May's choice in friends, especially since she was the reason he would be able to see the Emperor in a short while.

Aunt Winry yawned. "You kids should get some sleep. We've got a long train ride ahead of us, and it's getting dark."

Maes nodded and leaned on the window, so he could still watch the scenery out of the corner of his eyes. A little while later, a blonde mess of hair rested against his shoulder before softly snoring.

* * *

"Hey, Maes! Wake up!"

Maes opened his eyes to the sight of Uncle Ed shaking him awake. "What... what's going on?" He muttered.

Uncle Ed shook him again. "Our stop is coming up. We need to be ready to disembark."

Maes jolted awake. "Have we got all our luggage?"

Nina handed him his bag, the same one he had crossed the desert with. "Now we do."

The train whistled, and the party of five disembarked. The station was crowded, and with everyone speaking Xingese and pushing through the mass, Maes almost got separated from the others. Nina was clutching his hand though, so he couldn't wander far without either taking her with him or alerting her to his disappearance.

They eventually made it to a less crowded area in front of the station. Aunt May got them to gather around in front of a statue of a previous Emperor.

"Maes's appointment with the Emperor isn't for several more hours," Aunt May explained. "So we've got some time to kill. I'll check in with my people at court to make sure everything is in order. Winry, you should go to the mechanical shops in town and get everything you need for Lan Fan's maintenance. Edward, how about you check us into our hotel?"

Uncle Ed nodded. "Sure."

"What about Maes and me, Aunt May?" Nina piped up.

Aunt May considered her question. "Well, I can't think of anything else that needs to get done until Maes meets the Emperor, so how about you show him around the Capital?"

Nina pouted. "But I wanted to see Fu again!"

"Well, maybe you'll run into him," Aunt Winry pointed out. "I'm sure he would love to meet Maes." She pulled some Xingese coins out of her pocket and gave some to each of the teenagers. "Here, don't forget to get yourself something to eat. And be back here by noon!"

Nina sighed. "Fine. Let's go, Maes."

She grabbed Maes's hand and pulled him into the bustling street. People were shouting and talking to each other everywhere in the language Maes didn't understand. Merchants were selling their wares, exotic fabrics from distant lands. The shoppers were chattering with each other trying to decide what to get. Children were running down the street, playing games that Maes didn't know the rules to. The whole place looked busy and unfamiliar, and Nina was dragging Maes into the heart of it all.

Nina gave his hand a tug. "Come on, stop gawking and help me find Fu."

Maes sighed. "How am I supposed to help you find someone I don't know?"

Nina shrugged. "Oh well, I guess I'll just look for him on my own. See you later!" She gave him one last wave before leaving toward the crowd.

"Wait! Nina!" Maes called out, but she had already been swallowed by the crowd.

Maes scowled. "Great. She's gone." He looked around him and realized just how alone he was. There might be people pushing on him from all sides, but none of them were people he knew. They were just going about their daily lives, doing what they always did, not noticing that there was a boy lost in the crowd, far away from home. They didn't know about his plight. They probably didn't care about Amestris.

Maes pushed himself through the crowd. He finally found an open space in front of a food stand. The cook was tossing noodles for the customers, and it looked really delicious.

Maes's mouth watered. He hadn't eaten anything since before they had gotten on the train, and he was starting to realize that when looking at the delicious noodles. He pushed himself up to the window where a lady was taking people's orders.

"How much for a bowl of noodles?" He asked.

The only answer he received were blank, confused looks. It took Maes a while to figure out what the problem was.

_Damn it. They don't understand what I'm saying, and I don't speak Xingese! _

Maes looked around. "Does anyone here speak Amestrian? Please, I could use a translator." He was really starting to wish that Nina hadn't run off, since she was fluent in this country's language.

A voice broke through the crowd. "Are you the Amestrian I've heard so much about?"

Maes turned to find the speaker. He was a young boy about the same age as himself, but clearly Xingese. His shirt was yellow, and appeared to be slightly better made than most of the other people's clothes. He had on white, baggy pants that were the norm in Xing, and his long black hair was tied back. Maes really couldn't get a good look at his eyes since they were almost shut.

"Uh, I'm an Amestrian," Maes replied, not believing his luck.

"Great! It's nice to meet you!"

Maes went to shake the other boy's hand, then realized there was someone sneaking up behind this guy. The mysterious stalker was dressed all in black and had cloth covering most of his face. The only part of him Maes could really see was his eyes, which were filled with murderous intent that Maes only ever saw on battlefields. As he got closer to the boy Maes had just met, the man dressed in black raised his right hand and the knife he held there.

"Behind you! Someone has a knife and is aiming for you!" Maes shouted a warning to the other boy.

The boy swore, "I could have sworn I had ditched him!" He turned around and barely dodged the knife blade as it slashed where his neck had been a second before.

People screamed and ran away from the scene. The boy Maes had just met and his attacker got into fighting stances. Everyone was shouting and running around. The place was chaos, but between the two fighters there was nothing but stillness as they measured each other and contemplated their next move.

Maes stood to the side of the fighters. This wasn't his battle, this wasn't even his country. But still, Maes felt like this situation was somehow familiar. Perhaps it was because the boy was close his age. Perhaps it's because it was going on in the middle of the street, where Maes had fought most of his battles with Drachman soldiers. Perhaps it's because the people in the street were about to be forcefully exposed to violence much like the people of his own country. Perhaps Maes felt a little responsible. Whatever the reason, Maes decided to help the other boy out.

Maes clapped his hands together and put them on the ground. A pillar of earth shot out under the person dressed in black and threw him out into the distance.

The boy turned and looked at Maes., "Nice Alkahestory, man." He looked around at the crowd that was standing in awe, "Aw, we caused a scene. Guess we better go." He then grabbed the back of Maes's collar and took off running.

"Wait!" Maes cried, "I need to fix the floor! And who are you? Where are you taking me?"

"Don't worry about the floor, there are lots of Alkahesterists in the area, someone will fix it," the boy continued to run with Maes in tow. "My name is Fu, by the way. Fu Yao."

"And where are you taking me?" Maes asked again.

"To get some food. I'm almost going to pass out from hunger!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8! I looked up some Chinese street food to mention in this chapter. Yay research! I also showed you another couple of flashbacks... The first part of the flashback was supposed to go at the end of that one in chapter 6, but I ended up ending that one a little early. The second part is from a day that you will get more details about later down the road. **

**Oh, and I still don't know what to base Ishval after! Please, please, please help me! Just give me something for OC names.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist**

* * *

When Fu Yao finally stopped dragging Maes through the street, both boys got on their hands and knees panting. And then Fu laid on the ground moaning about food. Maes probably would have found it hilarious, if it wasn't so inconvenient.

"Hey, we need to move," Maes nudged the Xingese boy with his foot.

"So... hungry..." Fu groaned.

Maes shook his head at the other boy's antics. He looked around to figure out where they had landed, and was pleasantly surprised to find another food vendor.

He nudged Fu again. "Hey, I'm hungry too and we're by a food vendor. Do you think you could order us some breakfast?"

Fu gave a short nod, and Maes dragged the teenager to where the chef was taking orders. After a lengthy conversation that Maes didn't understand, Fu started to check his pockets with a worried look on his face.

Fu grinned at Maes sheepishly. "Well, it seems like I forgot my money again. Sorry about that. Any chance you have some change on you?"

Maes nodded and pulled out what Aunt Winry gave him.

Fu counted the coins and checked the sign by the chef's window. "Aww, we don't have quite enough. Guess I won't be able to get the soup." He spoke to the chef a little more in Xingese then told Maes to look for someplace to sit.

Maes looked around for chairs or a bench, but he couldn't find any that were unoccupied in the immediate area. He was about to give up and look for a wall they could lean against when he noticed that a lot of people were sitting on the edge of a fountain. He was able to snag a spot for both of them on one of the cleaner edges just as Fu was heading his way, already munching on a kebob.

Maes's mouth dropped when he saw how many boxes of food the boy was carrying. "How are we going to eat all that? You didn't have to use all my money, you know!"

Fu looked amused. "Come on, I usually eat more than this by myself. And that's not even when I'm that hungry."

There was still a lot of food. There were rice dishes, various forms of stir-fry with different sauces, noodles, dumplings, rice balls, kebabs, and various breads. While Maes was staying with the Elrics and Changs, Aunt Winry had done most of the cooking, but Aunt May had made a few traditional Xingese dishes. As a result, Maes had tasted a little of the local cuisine but not much. He decided to start his true exploration of Xingese food with one of the stir-fries, but ran into a problem quickly.

"Uh, Fu?" Maes asked. "Where are the forks?"

Fu looked up from his noodle bowl. "Forks? What are those?"

"You know, forks," Maes tried to explain. "The pointy thing used to pick up solid food?"

Fu still looked confused, but soon realized what Maes was talking about. "Oh! You mean that trident-like eating utensil you Amestrians use. Sorry, but here in Xing we use these." Fu clicked the two short sticks in his hand together.

Maes looked around and pulled out a similar set of sticks. Now that he thought about it, he could remember Aunt May using similar utensils very often, and the others in the house would occasionally use them too. Now he wished that he had bothered to ask them how they used the sticks. He placed them in his hand like Fu, one clutched close to the joint between his thumb and forefinger, the other held like a pen. He pushed the tips together and opened them again a few times to try and get to know how they worked, and then decided to try picking up a piece of chicken.

He put an end of each of the sticks on either side of the chicken and squeezed. The chicken went flying into the fountain. He tried again, on a pea pod. This time it flew into the street where a pigeon picked it up.

Fu laughed and handed him a rice ball. "Maybe you should stick to finger food."

Despite his now limited options, Maes still enjoyed his meal. Fu shoved dish after dish his way and roughly explained what each on was. There were lamb kebabs, eggs boiled in green tea, several different types of dumplings, breads with different fillings in them, and something like a dumpling Fu called Guo tie or pot stickers. (They were very hot and a little delicate, but Maes enjoyed them anyway.) There was still a lot of food Maes couldn't eat, but Fu took care of them quickly. Turns out, the guy really was able to eat that much food.

When the two of them finished the last container, Fu rubbed his belly. "Boy, that was really good."

Maes agreed, "Yeah, Xing has some pretty nice cuisine."

Fu smirked for a second, and then turned serious. "So, what's a kid like you who doesn't even know the correct way to eat doing this side of the desert?"

Maes sighed, not sure how much he should tell Fu. "It's kind of a long story. Why are you so interested in me? Better yet, how do you know how to speak Amestrian?"

Fu looked away, like he also was trying to figure out how much he should tell. "I... I have something that I'm going to do when I get older, and to prepare me for it I've been asked to learn a lot of things. This includes several foreign languages and cultures. My dad knows a lot about Amestris, so I decided to pick it up first."

Maes nodded, though it was obvious Fu was hiding something. "What are you going to do when you get older? And why does it have to be you?"

Fu gave Maes a mysterious smile that said he was definitely hiding something. "It's a long story."

Maes sighed. "Alright, fine. Don't tell me." He decided to try an easier question. "Where do you live? Is it close to here?"

Fu thought about it. "It depends on your definition of 'close to here.' It's in the city limits, but it is still several miles away from here. What about you? Where do you live?"

Maes really had to consider that question. Where did he live? It had been a long time since there had been a specific house that he could call home. "I live in Amestris, but I move around a lot. My parents are military, so I moved a couple of times when I was really little. When I was six, I thought we were going to be in a better situation, but the invasion started a year later and all that changed. I spent several years staying with my teacher in the South, but I eventually decided I had to do something to help in the invasion and went back to where the fighting was. I haven't stayed anywhere more than a month at a time since then."

Fu looked somber when he heard that. "You must really hate Drachma, don't you?"

Maes thought about it. "I don't think I hate Drachma itself, but I do hate what they've done. The people... _my _people... their lives have been completely changed, and not in a good way." Maes remembered the horrors he couldn't bring himself to talk about: the captured soldiers used for experimentation only to be returned with their mind and soul broken, the innocent children being slaughtered in the street, the scientists using all their strengths in combat but unable to do more than hold the horse at bay.

Fu's voice pulled Maes out of his thoughts. "You must really care about your country."

Maes looked at his feet. "I kinda... feel responsible for it. It's difficult to explain."

"Actually, I think I understand completely."

Maes looked up at Fu. "What do you mean?"

"I know what you're talking about," Fu explained. "I feel the same way about Xing. I can't imagine what it would be like if some country came and ransacked my home, my people."

Maes smiled. "You know, my dad has this philosophy. It's kind of a guideline for good leadership that he came up with when he experienced something terrible. He says that it's a person's duty to protect the people they love, and in return they'll protect the people they love. The idea is that eventually, with a pyramid effect, the whole world will end up protected. I try to live by that philosophy, and I think that's part of the reason why I feel responsible for my country."

Fu laughed. "You know, that reminds me of something my dad said. He believes that a king's duty is to his people, since without them he would be no king. My mom always likes to finish that off with reminding him that without their king the people would be lost as well. It's more of a symbiotic relationship than what you're talking about, but it reminds me of that."

Maes chuckled a little. "I think our dads would get along well."

"Well, their sons are friends aren't they?"

Maes froze. Friends. The last person who had called him that was... No. He couldn't think about that. But still, the memory came to the forefront of his mind against his will...

_"Hey! Kid!"_

_Maes turned toward the voice. It was right after the ceremony, and he wanted to see his father and congratulate him. The boy who had sat behind big sis Elicia was calling him though, and Maes didn't want to seem rude. _

_"Um, hi." Maes replied to the other boy. "You're Selim Bradley, right?"_

_"Yeah!" The older boy looked surprised. "Good job on remembering my name. I hear yours is Maes Mustang, correct?"_

_Maes nodded. _

_"He's your dad, isn't he?" Selim indicated Maes's father, who was being congratulated by some higher ups._

_Maes nodded again, though he didn't have any idea where this was going. _

_"So that makes you the new Fuhrer's son." Selim fiddled with his hands a little. "My mom's old husband... I guess you could say he's kinda my dad... was the Fuhrer a long time ago. So, in a way, you could say we are in similar situations."_

_Maes sized up the older boy, then smiled. "That's great!"_

_Selim held out his hand for Maes to shake. "How about we be friends, kid?"_

_Maes gratefully took the older boy's hand, grateful to have a friend in his new home. _

But just as that happy memory faded, the last time he had seen his friend came back to haunt him...

_A terrible stench __hung__ in the air. Part of it might be the smoke from the fires outside the building, terrible infernos of destruction that bore no resemblance to the friendly flames Maes had watched his father create. Part of it might be the sweaty foreign soldiers that surrounded the place, glaring at the two boys huddled in a corner of the room. But Maes __knew__ that most of the smell came from the slowly decomposing body of a teenage girl lying in the middle of the room, where she had fallen when she had been shot hours ago._

_Maes turned to look at Selim. The older boy was shaking uncontrollably, and his eyes looked like he was fighting a war within himself. Maes wished that he could say something to comfort his friend, but the soldiers would hit them if they said a word. And after seeing what they had done to Elicia, he didn't want to make the soldiers any angrier. _

_After several minutes, Selim finally calmed down. He looked around the room, as though this was the first time he had __seen__ anything. And then he laughed. _

_Something about his laughter scared Maes. Deciding that it would be worth it to go against the soldiers' commands, Maes jumped up and tried to calm down his friend. "Please stop!" Maes cried, "You're scaring me, and the soldiers will get mad!"_

_Selim stopped laughing. He looked down at Maes, and almost looked creepier than when he had been laughing. "You cared about her, didn't you?"_

_Maes could feel the tears starting to come again, the same tears he had barely managed to hold at bay after the soldiers had demanded he stop crying or they would shoot him. He could only nod at his friend's question. _

_Selim pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and started drawing a small circle. Out of the corner of his eye, Maes noticed the soldiers bustling around, getting ready for something. Maes was worried about what they were getting ready for, but was still a little grateful that they weren't looking their way since they would undoubtedly want to confiscate the paper that Selim was drawing a transmutation circle on._

_When Selim was done he pushed the paper into Maes's hands and whispered, "__Do__ you want to save Elicia?"_

_Maes looked startled. "Wait, what are you talking about Selim?"_

_"Do you want to save her? I can't, but with this circle, you just might be able to pull it off," Selim explained. "I saw this circle a long time ago, it is used for human transmutation."_

_Suddenly, Maes realized what his friend was talking about. "Wait, but that's illegal! Not to mention bad..."_

_"It's Elicia's only chance!" Selim probably would have shouted if they hadn't been whispering. "I'm not an Alchemist, I barely understand the basics, but you're really good and understand more of the complicated stuff. You already have the ingredients over there," he indicated to the rotting corpse, "and I'm showing you the circle. Please, you have to do it!"_

_At that point, soldiers came and dragged Selim away by his arms. With his last glimpses of his friend, Maes made a silent promise to perform the transmutation the first chance he got. It would __be__ that promise that would become Maes's greatest regret._

Maes shook himself out of the past. Fu was looking worried, and considering how long Maes had spaced out for, it wasn't surprising.

Maes cleared his throat. "Hey, Fu, do you know what time it is?"

Fu still looked worried, but pulled out a pocketwatch and checked the time. "Uh, it's 11:45. Do you have somewhere to be?"

Maes's face paled. "Yes, at noon. Do you know the quickest way to the statue in front of the train station?"

Fu nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just go down the street 4 blocks and turn left, you aren't that far. Hey!" He shouted as Maes ran off in the direction he indicated. "I don't think I caught your name!"

Maes turned around and shouted back, "I'm Maes Mustang! It was nice meeting you, Fu!"

4 blocks and a left turn later, Maes was running up to Aunt May. "Sorry I'm late! Nina ditched me and I had to find my own way back."

May shook her head. "Of course she did. Well, are you ready to meet the Emperor?"

Maes nodded, his mind now completely empty of friends that could never be and haunted memories, instead filled with hope for the future.

* * *

**Please read, review, follow and favorite!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I had a hard time getting past the second paragraph for a while, then my brain realized that How to Train Your Dragon 2 was about to come out, and it wouldn't let me think about anything else. I also needed to do some research on the Forbidden City, since that's where the majority of this chapter is set. I'm trying to base Xing on China in the late Qing dynasty, since it is closest to the time period of Fullmetal Alchemist (though I have made some changes for my own purposes).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, only the plot of this story and my OCs**

* * *

The Imperial Palace, or as Aunt May called it, the Purple City, was located in the middle of the Capital city, surrounded by several miles of gardens. This allowed it to still be technically in the city, while staying away from the noise and crowds of the common folk. It also meant that a person had to walk or ride for a long time to meet the Emperor.

Aunt May was using that time to educate Maes in Xingese customs some more. "Remember to bow as soon as you get there. And don't speak until someone speaks to you first."

Maes nodded. "I understand Aunt May. I'll be very respectful."

"And remember, if you don't get to say your piece..."

"Don't freak out, we'll come back again later." Maes looked ahead and noticed the magnificent gates looming ahead of them. "We're here, Aunt May."

The gate's guard was standing at attention, but after a short conversation with Aunt May **he** turned to yell at some people in the tower, which Maes assumed were responsible for opening the gate. The enormous doors opened outwards and Maes was finally able to get a view of the Imperial Palace in all its glory.

Maes didn't know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it. "Um, where's the purple? Shouldn't they have called this the Red and Yellow city?"

Aunt May sighed. "Red is the color of good luck and celebration. Yellow is associated with the Earth and Stability. Both are very important for the Emperor."

"Well then, where does the purple in the name come from?"

"Because it is so rare and difficult to manufacture, purple dye and ink is reserved **for** the emperor and his use. Now come on, we don't want to be late."

Maes followed her through the street, though he was still taking in the sights. Each building was a work of art, with red walls holding up golden rooftops covered in intricate designs. The sloping ridges were decorated with small statues, and the farther they got into the city the more he saw on each rooftop. Maes noticed that the gate they had come in, although very important, didn't appear to be the main gate. He saw a large, main gate with five gateways, and all but the center one was open.

Maes pointed out the closed gateway. "Why aren't people using that one, Aunt May?"

"The center one is part of the Imperial way and is reserved for the Emperor. The only other one who can walk that path is the Empress on her wedding day. Now stop gawking, some people might see it as rude."

Maes nodded and continued to follow her through the palace. There were **a** **lot** of other people around wearing fine robes, so he had to stay as close as possible to his guide.

They finally stopped in front of what Maes suspected was the greatest of the buildings. A whole flight of steps led to the door and on the rooftop Maes counted a total of twelve statues on each sloping ridge. Without having to ask, Maes knew that this must be where the Emperor conducted his business.

Aunt May called one of the finely dressed men over. "Maes, this is Jin Yao. He is going to be your translator in court."

Maes balked. "Wait, you mean you're not coming with me?" Although he could do it by himself, Maes would have preferred it if he at least had one of his allies by his side.

"I will, but the Scholars would feel better if you had an impartial translator." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, the Scholars and Elders just like to flex their muscles as much as possible. The only one that really matters is the Emperor; if you convince him, you will have the country on your side."

Maes nodded, and took a deep breath. _Well, here goes nothing, _he thought as he ascended the steps.

* * *

"His Imperial Majesty, the Dawn Emperor, will see you now." Jin Yao apparently took his job as a translator very seriously, since he felt the need to whisper translations for every little thing, even when Maes could imply the meaning by how Aunt May was leading him to the throne room.

Maes took a deep breath as he walked through the enormous, majestic doors. This was the moment he had been waiting for. How well he handled himself during this meeting just might determine the fate of Amestris. No pressure.

On the other side of the dragon-engraved doors was one very large room. It continued the general motif of red walls and yellow ceilings. The floor tiles looked like nothing Maes had ever seen before, and clearly had been made special. The entire room was decorated with dragons and intricate designs.

In the center of the room was the throne. It stood on a platform surrounded by golden pillars, and over it hung the strangest chandelier Maes had ever seen, shaped like a dragon with a ball in its mouth. A man, probably close to Uncle Ed's age, was wearing purple robes and sat on the throne while everyone else was kneeling around him. Maes immediately knew this was the Emperor.

Maes opened him mouth to say his piece, but someone interrupted in Xingese.

Jin Yao scurried over to Maes's side to explain what was happening. "The honorable Ming Prince would like to know what... er... you are doing here, and is asking the Emperor to return to the topic of foreign trade."

Just when Jin finished his translation, someone else spoke up and forced Jin to continue his translation. "The Esteemed Qing Elder wonders why the Honorable Ming Prince is so worried about foreign relations, and asks the Emperor to consider the state of Xing's military along the northern borders."

People continued to jump into the conversation, and soon the whole room was arguing in Xingese. Jin tried to explain what was happening, but with everyone talking over each other Maes could hardly hear him, and eventually Jin couldn't follow all the separate conversations and gave up. The only people who weren't talking were Maes, who was trying to be respectful, and the Emperor, who was looking at the squabbling crowd with eyes half closed.

After a few minutes, Maes was starting to lose his patience. He had not risked his life crossing the desert to watch a bunch of grown men argue like children. His country's fate depended on what happened in this room, and right now it didn't look so good. His frustration with the entire situation was growing intolerable.

Suddenly, Maes snapped. "I have come to ask for help in my country's war with Drachma!"

The room became deathly silent. Everyone was staring at Maes; even the Emperor's eyes opened a little more to give Maes his full attention.

Quickly, Jin Yao spoke to the others in the room, presumably translating Maes's words. When he was finished, the room erupted into arguments again.

Jin tried once again to explain their discussions to Maes. "The Honorable Wang Prince would like to know why Xing should get involved in the war of another nation, especially since it doesn't affect this country. The esteemed Zhang Elder..."

Maes wasn't paying attention to the translator. He was too busy mentally beating himself up. Aunt May's earlier words rang in his ears.

_"Remember to bow as soon as you get there. And don't speak until someone speaks to you first."_

Boy had he screwed up. He could feel her silent, disapproving glare stabbing the back of his head from where she knelt as silent support. She had warned him to be respectful, and here he was interrupting everyone and probably dooming Amestris.

Suddenly, the man on the throne barked a single-word command. The entire room fell silent again and bowed to the Emperor.

Jin crawled up to whisper in Maes's ear. "His Imperial Majesty the Dawn Emperor has called for silence."

_Then why are you still talking to me?_ Maes wondered.

The Emperor let the room remain quiet for a few moments and then spoke again. Although Maes couldn't understand what he was saying at the time, he could sense the authority in his tone. He was starting to understand how this man could rule a country. It reminded him a lot of his dad.

Maes was especially surprised when the Emperor switched to Amestrian and turned to him. "I am afraid we will have to discuss the situation with Amestris and Drachma at a later date, preferably in a different venue. I will send someone to set up a time and place later. You are dismissed."

Maes nodded and bowed low, trying to hide his tears.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Uncle Ed asked when he walked into the hotel room Maes was staying in. Uncle Ed and Aunt Winry were sharing one room, as well as Aunt May and Nina, which left Maes all by himself.

Aunt May shrugged. "Well, he certainly got the Emperor's attention, I'll give him that."

Maes groaned from where he lay on the bed. "It was a disaster. All those people were talking, and I..." Maes couldn't think of a word to describe just how badly he had messed up.

"I'm sure everything will turn out alright." Nina assured him.

Maes sighed. "Easy for you to say."

Nina turned to her father. "Has Mom made it back yet?"

Uncle Ed shook his head. "No. She said she was hoping Lan Fan would show up, but you know she can't just drop everything and visit your mother for maintenance."

"Ah, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you."

Maes turned towards the voice. Fu, the Xingese boy he had shared a meal with this morning was balancing on the windowsill with a bowl **of** food in one hand.

Nina squealed. "Fu! It's really great to see you."

Fu turned to her. "Oh, hey Nina. Almost didn't see you there." He looked back at Maes. "Hey, do you have a second? My dad would like to meet you."

"Sure," Maes grumbled. "Maybe I won't mess up _this_ first meeting."

"But Fuuuuu..." Nina whined. "I want to spend some time with you!"

"I'm guessing your Mom is with Winry right now," Ed cut in.

"Yeah." Fu nodded. "You can come along if you want. I'm sure he'll want to talk to you as well."

Uncle Ed nodded. "Ok, but we're using the _door_ to leave. You know, that thing normal people use instead of a window?"

Fu chuckled and pulled himself through the window completely. "Whatever you say, Uncle Ed."

As the group made their way to Aunt Winry and Fu's parents, Maes let his curiosity get the best of him. "Hey, Fu?"

The Xingese boy turned to him. "Yeah?"

"What's in the bowl?"

"Oh, this? It's just the best orange chicken in all of Xing!"

Maes blinked. "I'm assuming that's a type of food and not a type of bird."

"Yeah, it's for my dad. He always complains about how he doesn't get the chance to eat when he's working, so whenever we come around here I pick up something special for him."

Maes nodded. He was starting to guess where Fu had picked up his appetite from.

Uncle Ed stopped in front of a door. "We're here."

Fu opened the door and led them in. "Dad! I brought him!"

A voice that Maes couldn't quiet place but recognized replied. "Great! Did you get some food as well?"

"Yep!" The Xingese boy turned a corner and walked up to his father. "And Aunt May and Uncle Ed decided to come along too."

"You forgot about me!" Nina pouted. "How could you?"

Maes finally turned the corner and got a good look at the room everyone was in. Aunt Winry was sitting at a workbench, tinkering with an Automail arm. The arm was attached to a Xingese woman dressed all in black and clutching a face mask. Fu was off to the side, giving a man the bowl of food, a man that Maes recognized...

The Emperor of Xing.

* * *

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